INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely afreet reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Infonnation Company 300 North Zed) Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 MORALE IN THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES DURING WORLD WAR I Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By James Tyrus Seidule, B.A., M.A. ***** The Ohio State University 1997 Dissertation Committee Approved By Allan R. Millettf Advisor John F. Guilmartin Warren R. Van Tine Advisor Department of History UMI Number: 9731708 Copyright 1997 by Seidule, James Tyrus All rights reserved. UMI Microform 9731708 Copyright 1997, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Copyright by James Tyrus Seidule 1997 ABSTRACT This dissertation examines the morale of the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I to determine its competence. When examining morale military psychologists cite the importance of three factors: cohesion, esprit de corps, and biological and psychological needs such as health, rest, and nutrition. Morale, however, has more to it then the battlefield determinants, particularly in World War I. Societal values also played a key role. Officers and soldiers came into the army with idealistic and romantic expectations of war and service. Those expectations were particularly strong because the army used conscription without sufficient training to overcome prewar perceptions. This dissertation attempts to answer the question: how was the morale of the AEF? The morale of the AEF was poor. Most of this dissertation examines the causes for poor morale. Chapter 2 discusses the AEF's poor unit cohesion caused by a host of different factors. Chapters 3 and 4 describe the poor relations among officers caused by the rift between citizen-officers and professionals that contributed to poor officer leadership. Chapters 5 and 6 discuss the poor health of the AEF and the problems the medical system had in dealing with casualties. Finally, Chapter 7 describes the AEF's poor condition in the Fall of 1918, when it tried to launch the largest offensive in American history. This dissertation also describes the effect of poor morale on the AEF. Poor morale served as both an indicator of inferior battlefield performance and a factor in the Americans' tactical problems. The sorry state of the AEF in November, 1918 would probably have precluded it from continuing to fight into Germany in 1919. That is why studying morale»is important. It provides an evaluation of an army at the tactical level by assessing more than just tactics. In the case of the AEF, poor morale was a cause and a symptom of tactical ineffectiveness. Ill Dedicated to Shari IV ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This dissertation benefited from the input of many professors, colleagues, and graduate students. They helped me spot errors of fact as well as interpretation. My greatest thanks goes to Dr. Allan R. Millett who shepherded my progress through a thesis and a dissertation. As an advisor, scholar, and leader, he taught me how to teach, write, and most importantly how to think critically. I am a historian because of him and a much better army officer and leader. Despite a demanding schedule, he always found time to see me, and our discussions helped me clarify key issues. I learned much from the stellar professors at Ohio State, among them Dr. Williamson Murray, Dr. John Rule, Dr. Warren Van Tine, Dr. John Guilmartin, and Dr. Mark Grimsley. They taught me how to think and write more clearly and their unique presence in the classroom helped me develop my teaching style. I wrote much of this dissertation while teaching at the United States Military Academy (USMA). Blending the demands of teaching with research and writing is always a difficult task, but the members of the Department of History at USMA made it easier. The Department Head, Colonel Robert A. Doughty, a brilliant World War I historian, provided an atmosphere that allowed for both teaching and scholarship. He also gave me valuable French language sources and shared his manuscript on the French Army in World War I. My bosses in the Military History Division also supported my dissertation. Colonel James Johnson told me that a Ph.D. was possible and gave me frequent encouragement. Colonel Cole Kingseed smartly had me map out a timeline to finish my dissertation and demanded frequent updates that help me keep it a priority. As a boss and a mentor he provided me with a true example of how to "take care of your soldiers." Towards the end of my dissertation process, I was scheduled to teach an intensive two week course; instead. Colonel Kingseed taught it for me, freeing me to write and edit uninterrupted. Lieutenant Colonel Conrad Crane also sacrificed a month to teach that course so that I did not. He also shared his grandfather's diary with me as well as giving me encouragement. vi The administrative staff in the Department of History led by Mrs. Anne Lamb is extraordinarily efficient and allowed me to concentrate on the dissertation instead of other duties. Of particular note was Melissa Mills who kept me from missing deadlines and shepherded me through the sometimes strange processes at the Military Academy. I found the same efficiency at Ohio State as well. I would not have completed the administration requirements for the dissertation were it not for Beth Russell and Joby Abernathy. The staffs of the National Archives, the USMA library, the Military History Institute, and USMA archives gave me valuable assistance. Of particular note was Dr. Richard Sommers of the Military History Institute and Alan Aimone of the USMA Archives. Mentors are a rare breed, and I feel lucky to have had so many during this process. Two deserve special mention. Lieutenant Colonel William 0. Odom took me under his wing before I arrived at USMA, and even though he left to command an infantry battalion, I still find advice and tutelage whenever I need it. He showed me the process, the timeline, and the determination to finish a dissertation. In addition to his prodigious intellectual talents, he is VII the finest military officer I know. My other mentor is Dr. John M. Gates, who edited much of this dissertation and will probably see the rest of it soon. He sees through the chaff on most issues, and I value his counsel immensely. My colleagues from Ohio State and USMA have helped me during all phases of the graduate student experience. Major Verb Washington's computer guidance saved me in several instances from disaster. I value his friendship and his expertise. Captain Kelly Jordan read and edited parts of this dissertation. He has a first-rate mind and uses red ink well. Ron Kyle and Mark Jacobson provided me with friendship and facilities in Columbus. Captain Shawn Faulkner, an AEF scholar, shared his knowledge and sources with me. Our conversations honed my thinking. Finally, I want to thank my family. My father has taught history for forty-three years and is still the best teacher I have ever seen. My mother has continued to cheer for me even when I did not deserve it. I especially appreciate her frequent visits to care for "her boys" that allowed me to continue work on this dissertation. Peter and Wade, my two sons, have provided me with more then they will ever know. I learned time-management through them. If I wanted to spend time on this dissertation and play VIll with them, I had to figure out how to use my time more wisely. I hope I did. My greatest debt goes to my wife, Shari, for keeping the rest of my life in order while I worked. She is a superb mother and a wonderful wife. I am a better person for knowing her. Since I began this dissertation, she gave birth to our two sons, bore the majority of the parenting responsibility, and still gave me the encouragement I needed. She always did her best. Her morale never failed. IX VITA July 3, 1962 Born - Alexandria, Virginia 1984 B.A., Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia 1984-Present Officer, United States Army 1994 M.A., The Ohio State University 1994-Present Assistant Professor, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: History Studies in Military History with Dr.